Cool Sample Album of Nineteen Box Tops from the Fidelity Chocolate Company in Boston, each Featuring a Hand Tinted Photograph

While most people probably probably aren't aware that chocolate boxes c1920 would often come with a hand tinted photo of a beautiful woman on it, my dad had a large collection of the actual boxes. Thus, I've been seeking the boxes out for years. So, when I saw this album for sale at a market earlier this year, I had to have it.

As a sample book, it is large (17 x 13 inches) and quite heavy thanks to the reinforced binding. The box tops are heavy too and most have elaborate designs and bows as well as the photos. Many of the pages have glassine between them, although the first page is missing and thus the photos have rubbed a bit against the endpaper. One photo has been partially ripped off. It's difficult to find these boxes in any sort of condition, let alone the very-good to fine condition most of these tops are in. Many of the pages have notations as to how many pounds of chocolate would fit in each box. As you'll see, the five pound boxes must have been quite large.

Fidelity Chocolate had a store at 923-927 Washington St. in Boston. I found a number of ads for them, a patent for chocolate candies, and some business listings but not much more.

This is an unusual piece of advertising and photographic ephemera.